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Lot Essay
It is fitting that Munnings’ opened his three volume autobiography with a loving tribute to his horses: his companions, models and the foundation of his entire career. Amongst the final five, it is three who seem to feature most regularly in studies, portraits and as models for larger commissions and compositions: Anarchist, Rufus and Cherrybounce.
Painted near Withypool on Exmoor in the 1940s, Winter Exercise features the two bays, Anarchist and Cherrybounce, with the chestnut, Rufus, ridden by the Delaney boys. The three brothers, Thomas, Jim and Paddy, moved to Exmoor from Ireland to work for Munnings as grooms and became his preferred models during his war years in Devon. All three went on to become jockeys.
The elongated landscape format of the painting became a favourite choice with Munnings for depictions of horses at exercise, for instance in his 1947 Early Morning, Newmarket series. He returned to the striking frieze like composition in The Queen's Horses: 'Corporal', 'Biscuit' and 'Aureole', c.1954, sold in these Rooms 16 December 2021, lot 121 for £300,000.
We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos, Tristram Lewis and the Curatorial staff at The Munnings Museum for their assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
Painted near Withypool on Exmoor in the 1940s, Winter Exercise features the two bays, Anarchist and Cherrybounce, with the chestnut, Rufus, ridden by the Delaney boys. The three brothers, Thomas, Jim and Paddy, moved to Exmoor from Ireland to work for Munnings as grooms and became his preferred models during his war years in Devon. All three went on to become jockeys.
The elongated landscape format of the painting became a favourite choice with Munnings for depictions of horses at exercise, for instance in his 1947 Early Morning, Newmarket series. He returned to the striking frieze like composition in The Queen's Horses: 'Corporal', 'Biscuit' and 'Aureole', c.1954, sold in these Rooms 16 December 2021, lot 121 for £300,000.
We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos, Tristram Lewis and the Curatorial staff at The Munnings Museum for their assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.